


The Silver Lining

by croissantbleu



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Actor Phil Lester, Actor!Phil, Alternate Universe, First Dates, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, tailor!dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 06:51:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15989927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/croissantbleu/pseuds/croissantbleu
Summary: Phil is a rising actor, gaining popularity. Dan is just a guy with a tailor shop just a few blocks away from Phil's apartment. And Phil was looking for someone to go to for custom suits, but maybe he'll end up with more than he had thought.





	The Silver Lining

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by Molly's drawing of Phil in a suit that you can find here : https://twitter.com/deathclassic_/status/1035473558296649728   
> I saw it and just. had to do it.  
> Hope you enjoy it! Don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts ^^

As far as Phil could remember, he'd always wanted to be an actor. He remembered watching movies and tv shows with stars in his eyes when he was a kid, saying to his parents that that was what he wanted to do later.

And he did. He knew he'd been incredibly lucky, he knew first-hand how the acting industry worked and how hard it was to become someone. But in the end, he'd made it, to minor roles in TV shows to minor roles in movies, to eventually one of the lead roles now that he was 27. And he loved what he did, really, he couldn't think of anything else that would make him as happy as he was.

For the time being, though, he needed to find a tailor. One thing that came with people knowing you exist in the cinema industry was invitations to formal events and red carpets, and to be honest, Phil knew nothing about anything fashion related. Not that he really cared either - as long as he liked it and thought it looked nice, he'd wear it - but he was getting bored of plain black suits with no personality. He wanted something… different, something unique. And in his opinion, his best shot at finding what he wanted was to look away from well renowned tailors and stylists, and to search in lesser known people doing what they wanted without particularly striving for the spotlight.

One thing Phil appreciated was that enough people had no idea who he was for him to be able to walk down the street without having to worry about anyone recognizing him. Frankly, he was pretty sure he’d never be relevant enough to have to worry about that, and that was a bit of a relief. 

He was just strolling about, enjoying the end of the summer weather when the window of a shop caught his eye. It was a tailor shop, called  _ The Silver Lining _ . Phil smiled at the name, but what caught his attention were the suits exposed in the window, there was something… different about them, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It's only when he stepped closer that he noticed the silver thread outlining the pockets, and the beautiful silver lining of the inside of the jacket. The suit itself was gorgeous, a deep blue colour that made him think of the bottom of the ocean, and he decided to give it a try. He pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside, seeing the rows of different fabrics against the walls.

“Hello,” he heard someone say from behind him, and he turned around to see a young guy at the counter.

He was cute, Phil thought, soft brown curls falling on his forehead, a kind smile on his lips and dimples adorning his cheeks.

“I’m Dan. How can I help you?”

“Hi,” Phil smiled back. “Did you make the suits in the window?”

Dan nodded. “Absolutely, I'm the only one working here.”

“Awesome,” Phil said, looking around. “That must be a hell of a job, doing this by yourself. How long would it take you to make a custom suit?”

He saw Dan’s eyes seem to scan him quickly, from up and down to left and right, before he answered.

“Two weeks,” he said. “It’ll be ready in two weeks, it might need a few minor adjustments but it wouldn’t take more than half an hour.”

“That’s amazing,” Phil commented. “Okay, I’m sold.”

“Great,” Dan smiled. “That officially makes you the first person to request a custom suit, thank you. If you want to step over there,” he pointed to a side of the room, “I’ll just take your measurements really quickly.”

“Of course,” Phil smiled before walking over.

Dan flashed back a grin and stepped forward, fluttering around him so quickly that Phil could barely keep up with what he was doing, only hearing him mutter numbers that he could only assume were his measurements. It was over in a second, and Phil's head was slightly spinning just at the thought of how he could even remember all these numbers.

“Alright!” Dan said, stepping away to get back behind the counter, quickly scribbling on a piece of paper. “Now, if you want to pick a fabric and colour…”

“Actually, would you choose for me? I’m quite curious about what you’d decide on for me.”

“Is that a challenge?” Dan raised an eyebrow, the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Let’s say that I like a surprise,” Phil grinned. “Would you do it?”

“You know what? Okay, I will. It should be fun. Well then, that's all I needed. Oh, and your name too, please.”

“Phil Lester,” he answered with a smile.

“Okay, Phil Lester,” Dan smiled back. “I'll see you in two weeks.”

“I'll be there,” Phil replied as he started to walk away, and Dan waved at him before he walked out the door.

He had to say, he was really excited to see what suit Dan would come up with. He really liked the designs of the ones he’d already seen, although they were pretty traditional. He was really curious to see what Dan would do if he was given a chance to do what he really wanted to.

 

* * *

The two weeks had gone in a blink, Phil had been busy with his family coming to visit, but he finally had some time to himself. And that meant going to check on his new suit, amongst other things. He really was excited to see what Dan had planned for him, and he had a strange feeling he was going to love it.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

“Hello,” Dan greeted him. 

“Hi,” Phil smiled, walking up to the counter. “How’s that surprise suit coming along?”

“All ready for you to try it on,” he replied, walking over to one of the racks to pick up a suit bag. “You can go try it on over there and see what you think of it, and if you like it I’ll make the final adjustments.”

“Thank you, I’ll do that,” Phil said, taking the suit bag before walking to the dressing room. 

He was surprised by the colour of the suit when he got it out of the bag, a deep burgundy that he instantly fell in love with. He put it on and stepped out of the changing room.

“So, what do you think?” Dan asked, coming over while he was looking in the mirror.

“I love it,” he said, and Dan broke into a grin. “It's really comfortable! And the lining is awesome.”

“I'm glad you like it,” Dan smiled behind him, pinning the suits in a few places. “It's sitting great on you, I'll barely have any modifications to make. See how the colour brings out your eyes?” he added, readjusting the lapel. “That's why I picked it, it creates a great contrast with your eyes and your hair.”

Phil didn't know if he was imagining the rosy colour that had appeared on Dan's cheeks when he took a step back away from him. 

“Okay, I'll let you get changed again and then I'll do those modifications real quick - it'll only take a minute,” Dan said.

Phil nodded and went back into the dressing room, getting back in his normal clothes and carefully putting the suit back on the hanger before walking to the counter where Dan was. He got to work quickly, taking the pins out and altering what was needing to be.

“By the way,” he spoke up suddenly, looking up at him. “You didn't tell me you were an actor.”

Phil couldn't hide his smile. “Damn, you've blown my cover. What gave me away?”

“Your name,” Dan laughed. “I mean, you looked kinda familiar when you walked in but I couldn't figure out why. So, I might've googled you real quick when I got home, just to be sure. I have to say, I didn't expect a celebrity to ever walk in here.”

“I'm not a celebrity,” Phil protested. “Thank fuck for that, by the way. And, your suits are amazing. Honestly. I'll be coming here more often, believe me on that.”

Dan smiled and carefully put the suit in a protector bag, easy to take home without risking damaging the suit.

“Here's your receipt,” he said, handing him the piece of paper.

“You know,” Phil commented, as he was writing the check, “for that quality, you should charge more.”

Dan smirked. “I'm trying to attract customers, not scare them away because of the price.”

“Oh, I have no doubts you'll attract plenty of people,” Phil chuckled, handing him the check and taking the bag. “Anyway, it was a pleasure dealing with you, I'm looking forward to coming back.”

“Thank you,” Dan said. “Hey, by the way, you never said what the suit was for,” he added before Phil walked out.

He turned around with a smile on his lips. “Follow me on social media, you'll see!”

He heard Dan laugh as he was stepped outside. 

*

As soon as Phil posted the best pictures he’d gotten back from the photoshoot he had with the new suit he got from Dan, he got a wave of supportive comments and people who said they love the suit. Amongst those, a certain @danielhowell who just said ‘nice suit ;)”, which made him laugh. He’d made sure to say where the suit was from in his original tweet, so he knew Dan would see it at some point. He really loved it, it was definitely one of the most comfortable and well-fitted suits he’d tried in a long time. Not to mention the colour in itself was amazing, too. And, as he told Dan, he had no doubt he’d come back soon enough. He did need a regular tailor, after all, he wasn’t going to search the whole city for another one when Dan was about two blocks from his apartment, and doing a damn good job with his suits.

 

* * *

Over the last few months, Dan had pretty much become Phil’s official tailor, if there was such a thing. Phil was just at the shop all the time, maybe a bit more often than he really needed to, but maybe it was just an excuse to be able to see Dan.

He had an excuse this time, though. His friend PJ was visiting while taking a break from his current animation project, and he had insisted on going to see what all the fuss Phil made was about. 

“Don’t embarrass me,” Phil said when they arrived at the tailor shop.

“Me? Never,” PJ smiled widely, and Phil knew there was no point in pleading.

Peej was force of nature, chaotic and unstoppable. But he was a great friend, just slightly unpredictable at times. Phil shook his head and pushed the door open.

“Well, what a surprise,” Dan said, amusement clearly perceptible in his voice. “Wasn’t expecting you here.”

Phil laughed and turned to face him. “If this is how you react when your customers come back, you’re going to drive them all away.”

Dan smiled and Phil could see his eyes sparkling. “Don’t worry about that, it’s only reserved for my most loyal customer,” he replied, and Phil had to resist a strong urge to stick out his tongue. “Oh, sorry,” Dan added when he noticed PJ behind Phil. “I didn’t see you there.”

“No problem,” PJ grinned as he stepped forward. “I’m used to living in his shadow.”

“Hey,” Phil protested, elbowing him in the ribs. “You know you’re not. Sorry about him,” he said, giving Dan an apologetic smile. “It’s my friend PJ, he insisted to come check out your work.”

“Well, glad to meet you,” Dan flashed a smile that made his dimples appear. “My name is Dan, feel free to look around all you want.”

“Thanks!” PJ replied. “To be honest, I was more interested in seeing why Phil was constantly talking about you, but now I get it.”

Phil felt his cheeks growing a lot too warm for his liking. “You know what? We’re actually kind of in a hurry so we just stopped by to say hi! Come on Peej,” he muttered.

“Go on ahead,” he just answered. “I’ll be right back.”

Phil frowned but did as he said, waving goodbye to Dan before walking out into the street, wondering what the hell PJ was up to. The door opened again not long after, and a very satisfied-looking PJ walked out.

“What was that about?” Phil asked.

“I gave him your number, and told him to call you, because you’re a useless gay and you never would’ve made the first move. You’re welcome.”

“Wait- you- what? Peej!”

“Oh come on,” PJ rolled his eyes. “Tell me you don’t like him, I dare you.”

“I-” he exhaled sharply in frustration. “Fine. I hate you.”

PJ just laughed. “Sure you do. You’ll thank me later.”

*

Later that evening, while he was lying on the couch watching a tv show, Phil got a text from an unknown number.

_ ‘Hi! It's Dan, your friend PJ gave me your number. Hope you don't mind? I was wondering if you'd like to hang out one of these days, outside of the shop. I haven't had the chance to go to the planetarium yet and it looks pretty amazing. What do you think?’ _

Phil smiled, and it didn't take him very long to compose an answer.

_ “Hey! No no, there's no problem, I don't mind at all! And I'd love to hang out ^^ the planetarium is a great idea, I've never been before either. How does thursday night sound?’ _

He didn't have to wait much for a reply.

_ ‘Thursday night is perfect. Let's meet there at 6? There's a showing at 6:30, I'll get the tickets. See you on Thursday!’ _

He tried his best to hide the grin growing on his face even though he was alone - PJ was gone on a little shopping spree, he should be back soon - and let his phone fall back on the couch. He was glad Peej was there, he was going to need advice on what to wear.

*

Saying he wasn't nervous would be lying, but he was more excited than anything else. It had been a while since he had been on a date, he'd been busy filming and he'd never really been the type of guy to get lots of dates, he didn't get close to many people.

He spotted Dan as soon as he turned the corner and faced the planetarium, he'd traded his usual smart shirt and pants for a burgundy v-neck sweater over an off-white shirt, with black pants and black boots, and all that Phil could think was  _ “holy fuck, I'm gay”.  _ He fixed the sleeves of his button-up shirt, pushed up just below his elbows, and walking up to Dan. He noticed the way his face seemed to light up when he saw him.

“Hey! You made it,” he smiled. “I mean, I know you said you’d come but I was a bit worried you’d change your mind at the last minute.”

“No, no,” Phil rushed to reassure him. “As much as PJ can be annoying, he was right saying that I never would’ve made a move,” he chuckled.

Dan laughed too before reaching out to briefly touch his shoulder.

“We should get going, we don’t want to miss the showing. I love space,” he said with another laugh, almost apologetic this time.

Phil grinned. “Sure, you’re right! This is exciting, I haven’t been to a planetarium since I was a kid. Let’s go!”

He almost wanted to take Dan's hand on the way in, but he figured it'd be too much of a bold move too fast, and to be honest, he wasn't really comfortable with publicly showing he was gay yet. He never addressed it, never denied nor confirmed any of the rumours. All the people he cared about knew, and that was all that really mattered to him.

They continued talking casually until they were sat in the room. There weren’t many people there, it was pretty empty, maybe because it was thursday, but Phil liked that better than if it had been overcrowded. Phil was about to comment on how soft Dan’s hair looked under the subdued light, against his better judgement, but he was saved by the lights turning off and the ceiling illuminating with thousands of stars. 

He saw Dan’s eyes light up as soon as the night’s sky appeared above them, and Phil couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Dan elbowed him in the arm, but he could see him biting back a smile. 

They kept silent for most of the showing, exchanging excited glances from time to time.

“You look cute with your head in the stars,” Dan leaned in to murmur in his ear after about an hour.

Phil sensed his cheeks heating up and hid his face in his hands, and he felt Dan put his head on his shoulder and giggle quietly.

“Aw come on, I wanna see your face!” he complained, delicately wrapping his hands over Phil's wrists and guiding them away. “There you go,” he smiled.

He was closer than what Phil had anticipated, big brown eyes that seemed deeper under the changing lights from the stars over them, so deep that he'd get lost in them forever if he didn't do something. So he did something.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, always quietly enough that only Dan could hear him.

He saw the look of surprise on Dan's face before he broke into a grin.

“Yes,” he said, bringing a hand to cup his jaw before leaning forward.

Phil was thankful for the darkness of the room, because he could feel his ears and cheeks burning and he knew they were probably bright red. He just regretted that it also meant he couldn't see if Dan was in the same state.

“Wish I'd have done that sooner,” Dan whispered when he moved away.

Phil chuckled. “Yeah. Me too.”

Dan turned to sit back in his seat, but kept Phil’s hand in his and rested his head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a bit longer, before Phil spoke again.

“Hey, would you… would you mind if we stayed quiet about this for a while? I mean- I’m not going to tell you what you can or can’t say,” he smiled awkwardly. “It’s just- I’m not exactly publicly out as gay and I- I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“Hey, no,” Dan looked up and squeezed his hand. “Of course I don’t mind, we can take all the time you need. It’s not like I know anyone influent anyway,” he giggled. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you,” Phil said, relieved, leaning in to kiss him again.

 

* * *

They kept seeing each other and keeping their relationship on the low for a few months, and if Phil was as happy as he could be, he wanted to go public with it and he knew Dan wanted that too, they’d talked about it enough. He just needed to find the right moment, he didn’t want to just post a tweet and call it quit. Phil always liked a bit of spectacle. So, when he got an invitation for him and a plus one to a new year’s gala along with other actors, it was the perfect opportunity. Dan was making their suits but he’d refused to tell him what they’d look like, he wanted to keep it a surprise. But Phil was pretty ure he was making something different, and he was excited.

*

“You really outdid yourself,” Phil said.

They were in PJ’s car, he had offered to drive them to the gala, before adding “you guys are getting home on your own, y’know I love you but I’m not gonna play the taxi all night on new year’s eve. I have my limits”. Phil had laughed, and Dan had promised they’d get an actual taxi back.

“Thank you,” Dan smiled. 

He really did outdo himself, Phil thought, looking at him. He’d made matching suit jackets for both of them. Phil’s was black with delicate gold designs all over and black lapels, and with black pants and a black shirt, it really made the gold details stand out and he loved the result. Dan looked incredible, also wearing black pants and a black shirt with a black bowtie, but his jacket was somehow made with silver glitter. Phil had no idea how he did that, but it looked amazing.

“I’m really stressed, to be honest,” Dan admitted. “I think my hands are shaking.”

Phil smiled softly and took Dan’s hands in his. “It’s okay, we’ll have a great time! And we can meet lots of people. Don’t go breaking up with me because you’ve met someone more famous than me.”

Dan giggled and leaned forward to kiss him. “You know I won’t,” he said as he moved away, fixing Phil’s quiff.

“Not to interrupt you two lovebirds,” PJ spoke up, “but we’re here. Go have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Thanks Peej,” Phil smiled. “I owe you one.”

“Ah, don’t mention it. But yeah, you do. Don’t forget that.”

Phil laughed. “You’re the worst. See you next year!”

“Yeah, yeah. Have fun you guys!”

“Bye Peej,” Dan smiled and waved at him.

“Ready?” Phil asked quietly, hand on the handle of the car door.

Dan nodded, and they got out of the car.

There were a few photographers waiting outside, as Phil was expecting, and he saw them taking pictures of the hand he had on Dan’s lower back, but they just kept walking until they got to the door. The security guy let them through, and they walked inside. It was a massive room, packed with important people and filled with music, and maybe he was getting a little nervous, but he knew Dan was right there with him. 

Phil spotted a guy he had filmed with, Adam,  so they both walked up to him.

“Hey, Adam!” Phil called out.

“Phil, you’re here! I didn’t know you’d come,” he smiled, before his eyes drifted to Dan. “Hi, I don’t think we’ve ever met. My name’s Adam,” he added, offering his hand.

“I’m Dan,” he replied, shaking Adam’s hand. “I’m Phil’s plus one, actually.”

“Really? That’s awesome! My partner’s here somewhere too, they wanted to walk around a little bit before it gets too crowded. Your suits are super cool by the way, I love that you guys are matching,” he grinned. “That’s cute.”

Phil laughed. “Dan made them, if you want the truth.”

Adam’s eyes widened. “No way.”

“He did! That’s how we met, about six months ago, I came to him for a suit for a photoshoot and I was like ‘damn, he’s cute’, so I just kept coming back,” Phil smiled.

Dan giggled. “He didn’t even tell me who he was! I had to do some googling. Imagine me, I’m just a guy in my tiny tailor shop and suddenly Phil Lester comes in and asks me to make him a suit. I was  _ not  _ expecting that.”

Adam laughed with them and they continued talking for a while before Adam went back with his partner, and they kept talking to other people throughout the evening, most of which came up to them to compliment them on their suits, and Phil was amused at Dan’s reaction every time.

It was almost midnight now, and Dan and Phil had stepped away from most of the agitation.

“How are you doing?” Phil asked.

“I’m great,” Dan smiled. “This is really nice, I’m glad we came.”

“Me too,” Phil said, putting his arm around Dan’s shoulders. “Me too.”

The screens on display started to show a countdown and the room filled up with more excitation with every second getting closer to midnight, and when it finally arrived to zero after what felt like an eternity, everyone erupted in cheers and applause and Phil leaned in to kiss Dan, a hand softly placed on the back of his neck.

“Happy New Year,” he whispered.

Dan giggled. “Happy New Year, love.”


End file.
